The present invention relates to releasable fishing line clips and more particularly concerns an improved outrigger clip of improved compact arrangement, increased efficiency, and decreased line friction.
In various types of trolling the fishing line is held at a position to one side of, or below, a cruising boat by means of an outrigger or downrigger. The line is releasably held at the outwardly or downwardly displaced position by being passed through a clip that is secured to a support, such as an outrigger pole or a weighted downwardly extending line. The clip is arranged so that when a fish strikes the bait or lure the fishing line tension is increased sufficiently to free the line from the clip.
As the clip is displaced from the cruising boat, the fishing line passing through the clip makes a sharp bend, generally being led over a releasable member, such as a wire or bail, that is pivoted to the clip and pulled outwardly by a sudden tension increase so as to allow the line to run freely out of the clip. Many releasable clips presently available create excessive friction between the fishing line and the wire or bail over which it runs so that the line frequently is seriously damaged or frayed.
An attempt to decrease this friction is found in the patent to Naone et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,148, which employs a circular sheave with fixed axial protruberances. These protruberances are frictionally received and clamped between a pair of legs that are adjusted to maintain the sheave in position. In this arrangement, the clamping force needed to hold the sheave in position exerts a rotation restraining frictional force on the sheave which thus may experience difficulties in turning and the concomitant loss of its friction-free characteristic. Further, with the arrangement of Naone et al the increased tension on a line to release the line from the clip will pull the sheave completely free of its supporting legs as the line is released. Thus, the sheave is lost each time there is a strike, and a new sheave must be employed for reuse of the clip. Obviously, economic considerations will prevent this disposable and expendable sheave from being manufactured with optimum charateristics of efficiency, durablilty, and frictionless rotation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a releasable fishing clip that avoids or minimizes above-mentioned problems.